Continuous rinsing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus by which cloth articles are rinsed by directing a mist of gas and rinse liquid along a path normal to the articles therethrough to prevent puddles of the rinse liquid and the wash solution from forming thereon.

I United States Patent 1 1 1 1 3,763,072

Bahnsen Oct. 9, 1973 i 1 CONTINUOUS RlNSlNG APPARATUS 2,064,512 12/1936WilSOn et a1. 68/205 R x I 2,724,955 11/1955 Spooner 175] lnvenmr-Bahnsen, 2,736,632 2/1956 Blay 68/205 R x [73] Assigneef SteinerAmerican Corporation, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Salt Lake City,Utah 6,383 1904 Great Britain 68/205 R 435,767 5 1948 It 1 68 205 R [22]Filed: Sept. 28, 1971 a y l [21] Appl. No.: 184,572 PrimaryExaminer-William I. Price l 1. Related US. Application Data AttorneyPrang ey et a [62] l3)i6v;s;o2n12fSer. No. 879,764, Nov. 25, 1969, Pat.No. [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus by which cloth articles are rinsed bydirect- 52 us. (:1 68/205 R ing a mist of gas and rinse liquid 110112 aPath 51 Int. Cl. B056 5/00 to the articles thefethrough 1F Puddles the581 Field 61 Search 68/205 R rinse liquid and the Wash 501mm from fmmingthereon.

[56] References Cited 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS821,812 5/1906 Mather et al. 68/205 R X 1 735 so a PATENTEUUET 9191aSHEET 10F 4 MMN PAIENIEBUBI 9191a 3, 763 ,672

sum 2 nr 4 CONTINUOUS RINSING APPARATUS This is a division, ofapplication Ser. No. 879,764, filed Nov. 25, 1969 and now US. Pat. No.3,698,214.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for rinsing thewash solution from the fabric articles by forcing a rinse misttherethrough along a path normal thereto.

An important object of the present invention is to provide apparatus forrinsing wash solution from fabric articles comprising a rinsing unitincluding a pressure chamber for generating a mist of a gas and a rinseliquid, a rinse conveyor for transporting the articles along apredetermined path adjacent to the rinsing unit, a nozzle for therinsing unit including two spaced-apart walls defining therebetween apassage through which the mist is forcibly expelled from the pressurechamber and through the articles on the conveyor, the portions of thewalls adjacent to the exit end of the nozzle being disposedsubstantially normal to the predetermined path to prevent puddles of therinse liquid and the wash solution from forming on the associatedarticle and thus decreasing the quantity of mist forced therethrough,and a collecting vessel disposed adjacent to the rinse conveyor inposition to receive the mist and wash solution carried thereby passingthrough the articles, whereby to rinse the wash solution from thearticles.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best beunderstood by reference to the following specification taken inconnection with the FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration with certainportions in section of apparatus the present invention for rinsingentrained wash solution from fabric articles;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration with certain portions in sectionof apparatus for further rinsing the fabric articles;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the drive mechanism for theconveyor for the syphon-surge rinser with the rinsing and collectingunits removed for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the rinser shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view partly in section of the rinsershowing the conveyor, the rinsing units and collecting units therefor; 1

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of a rinsing unit partly in sectionshowing the relative positions of the pressure chamber, the conveyor andthe collecting vessel;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6taken along line 7-7 showing the relationship of the nozzle andconveyor; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shownin FIG. 7.

The rinser of the present invention is related to my co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 746,157, filed on July l9, 1968, entitledCONTINUOUS WASHING METHOD AND APPARATUS which was a division of myco-pending application Ser. No. 499,137, filed Oct. 21, 1965, entitledCONTINUOUS WASHING METHOD AND APPARATUS, now US. Pat. No. 3,439,365, thedisclosure therein being incorporated herein by reference. The rinsertherein disclosed is entirely effective to rinse wash solution fromfabric articles containing the same; however, difficulties areencountered due to the formation of puddles of rinse liquid and washsolution on the fabric articles thereby decreasing the amount of rinsemist being forced therethrough. The novel method and apparatus of thepresent invention eliminates the above described problem by directingthe mist through the articles in a path normal to the articles, therebyto prevent the formation of puddles thereon.

The washed flat work 675a which exits from an orbital washer (not shown)along a discharge portion of a lower belt is fed to a Syphon-surgerinser 710. The rinser 710, see FIGS. 1-7, includes a pair ofspacedapart U-shaped frame members 715, each of the frame members 715having two spacedapart legs 716 interconnected by a bight 717, the framemembers 715 are interconnected by cross-ties 718 thereby to provide aframe for the rinser 710 which is stationary and stable. The U-shapedframes 715 further includes two lateral supports 721 generally parallelto the bights 717 and downwardly spaced therefrom, the support 721extending between the legs 716, lateral supports 721a and 721b extendhorizontally outwardly from the legs 716 and are spaced above support721. Four vertical supports 722 extend upwardly from each support 721and are adjacent to the legs 716 of the U-shaped frames 715 for apurpose to be hereinafter disclosed. There is further provided verticalsupports 722a also extending upwardly and downwardly from each support721 and vertical supports 722b extending upwardly from each bight 717.All of the supports hereinbefore described are provided as support forthe drive mechanism and conveyor hereinafter described.

Joumalled to the right-hand U-shaped frame 715, as viewed in FIG. 4, area plurality of hollow shafts 725, the shafts 725 extending perpendicularto the plane defined by the frames 715 being journaled in pivot blocks726, the shafts 725 carrying on the other end thereof sprockets 727, theshafts 725 being supported by the above-mentioned supports 721, 7210,721b, 722, 7220 and 722b. Adjacent to the U-shaped frames 715 anddisposed about the shafts 725 are spacers 728, the spacers 728 being inthe form of tubes for a purpose hereinafter to be explained. Positionedon the shafts 7 25 intermediate the spacers 728 are a plurality of hubs730, the hubs 730 being similarly constructed to the hubs 650 in mycopending application Ser. No. 879,764, filed Nov. 25, 1969 now Pat. No.3,698,2l4 for CONTINUOUS WASHING METHOD AND AP- PARATUS, and also beingprovided with tongues and grooves (not shown), each hub 73% supportingtherearound a roller 735 formed of a wheel rim 736 and interconnected tothe hub by spokes 737 extending radially from the hubs 730 to the wheelrim 736. As may be seen, the combination of the spacer tubes 728 and thehubs 730 provide relatively little room for lateral movement of therollers 735.

There is further provided an upper endless chain 74(1 and a lowerendless chain 741, the upper endless chain 740 moving in acounter-clockwise direction about sprockets 727k, 727i, 727j and 727k.The lower chain 741 moves in a clockwise direction about sprockets 7270to 727g as shown in the figure, there further being provided a pair ofidler wheels 745 suspended on a pair of spaced-apart generally parallelshafts 746, the idler wheels 745 serving to maintain the lower endlesschain 741 taut. Movement of the lower endless chain 7 11 is provided bythe motor means 7511 mounted on a plate 751 and having extendingtherefrom a drive shaft 752 fixedly connected to a drive sprocket 753.The drive sprocket 753 is connected by an endless chain 754 to an outersprocket 755 fixedly connected to a rotatable shaft 756, the shaft 756further including an inner sprocket 757. As may be seen, activation ofthe motor 750 produces rotation of the drive shaft 752 thereof, which inturn drives the endless chain 754 in a counterclockwise direction,thereby to rotate the outer sprockets 755 and the shaft 756 also in acounterclockwise direction. The lower endless chain 741 passes over thesprockets 727a, 727b, 727c and 727d, it thereafter passes under theinner sprocket 757 and thereafter upwardly over sprockets 727e, 727f and727g, thereby counter-clockwise rotation of the sprocket 757 providesclockwise rotation of the lower endless chain 741 and thereby clockwiserotation of the sprockets 727 and hence the rollers 735 supported by theshafts 725 supporting the above-mentioned sprockets 727a-g.

The counter-clockwise rotation of the upper endless chain 740 isprovided by a drive chain 760 between a driven sprocket 761 and adriving sprocket 762 mounted on the shaft 756 driven by the motor 750.There is also provided an idler sprocket 765, as shown. The upperendless chain 740 passes underneath the sprockets 727k and 727i and overthe sprockets 727j and 727k; after passing over the sprocket 727j, thechain 740 passes under the outer sprocket 765; therefore, clockwiserotation of the shaft 766 carrying the outer sprocket 765 and innersprocket 767 thereon provides counter-clockwise rotation of the chain740 and thereby the sprockets 727k-k, the associated shafts 725 and therollers 735 carried thereby. From the above, it is seen that there isprovided an upper endless chain 740 rotating in the counter-clockwisedirection and a lower endless chain 741 rotating in the clockwisedirection.

As hereinbefore explained, the upper endless chain 740 inducescounter-clockwise rotation of the sprockets 727 through 727k and therebycounter-clockwise rotation of the corresponding shafts 725 while thelower endless chain 741 provides clockwise rotation of the sprockets727a through 727g and thereby clockwise rotation of the correspondingshafts 725. The respective shafts 725 each support a plurality ofrollers 735, the rollers 735 rotating in the same direction as theassociated shaft.

As may be best seen in FIG. 5, there is provided a conveyor 770, theconveyor 770 including a lower endless mesh belt 780, the belt 780 beingof the fourdrinier type wire mesh cloth and constructed of acorrosionresistant material such as stainless steel or an appropriatesynthetic material, and an upper endless mesh belt 790, the upper beltlikewise being constructed of a corrosion-resistant material. The lowermesh belt 780 and the upper mesh belt 790 both are supported by andtransported by the rollers 735, the lower belt 780 and the upper belt790 being positioned to provide a laminar portion 795 for transportingthe flat work 675a therebetween. The upper endless belt 790 and thelower endless belt 780 therefore combine to transport the flat work 6750along a predetermined horizontally disposed path. It should be herenoted that the belts 780 and 790 are sufficiently wide to providetransportation for flat work 675a composed of ten lanes of continuoussheets of toweling arranged in a side-by-side relationship.

The laminar portion 795 of the conveyor 770 containing the lower endlessbelt 780, the upper endless belt 790 and the flat work 675a disposedtherebetween passes along a horizontal path adjacent to a plurality ofrinsing units 800. The rinsing units 800 are identical in construction,and therefore only one will be described for the sake of brevity andsimplicity. There is shown for the sake of example only, three rinsingunits 800, the units being distinguished where necessary by the additionof a reference letter to the appropriate reference numeral. The rinsingunits 800 each include a steam manifold 805, the manifold 805 beinggenerally U-shaped in cross-section and including two upstandingspaced-apart side walls 806 interconnected by a transversely extendingtop wall 807, the side walls 806 carry on the ends thereof and integraltherewith outwardly extending attachment flanges 808, the attachmentflanges 808 being fixedly and suitably secured to a horizontallydisposed bottom wall 809, the bottom wall 808 having a plurality ofspaced-apart apertures 810 therein. The rinsing units 800 are eachdisposed with the longer dimension thereof transverse to the path of thelaminar portion 795 of the conveyor 770 and as may be seen in FIG. 6,each of the steam manifolds 805 is inclined from the right-hand side ofthe figure to the left-hand side of the figure, thereby to provide alarger vertical extent of the side walls 806 at the left than at theright and a decreasing volumn as steam travels from the left to theright, thereby to maintain the even pressure thereof in the inlets 849.

Disposed below the bottom wall 809 of each of the steam manifolds 805 isa mixing chamber 815, each of the mixing chambers 815 being identicaland including two spaced-apart diagonally inwardly slanting side walls816, the side walls 816 having at the upper ends thereof and integraltherewith outwardly extending attachment flanges 818, the attachmentflanges 818 being suitably secured to the bottom wall 809 of the steammanifold 805. As may be seen, the side walls 816 of each of the mixingchambers'8l5 extend diagonally downwardly to a point 823 where theydepend from that point in straight vertical portions 824, the straightvertical portions 824 are positioned to form a right angle with thelaminar portion 795 of the conveyor 770, the two straight verticalportions 824 of the side walls 816 fonn a nozzle 825. The steammanifolds 805 and mixing chambers 815 are each further provided with afront wall 827 and a rear wall 828, the attachment flanges 808 and 818being suitably secured to the respective bottom wall 809 of the steammanifold 805 by nuts and bolts 829.

Outwardly disposed of each of the nozzles 825 and suitably attachedthereto are two generally L-shaped shoes 835 for a purpose hereinafterexplained, the shoes 835 each including a straight vertical portion 836suitably attached to the straight vertical portions 824 forming thenozzle 825 and horizontally outwardly extending portions 837, theportions 837 being generally parallel to the laminar portions 795 of theconveyor 770. At the distal ends of the horizontal portions 837 of theshoes 835 and integral therewith are upturned ends or guides 838, theshoes 835 including the ends 838 principally being provided to preventsnagging of the mesh belts 780 and 790.

Disposed within the mixing chamber 815 at spacedapart points therealongare a plurality of spacers 845, the spacers 845 extending generallyparallel with the direction of travel of the conveyor 770, that isgenerally transverse to the longer dimension of the mixing chamber 815.Each two spacers 845 provides contact for a partition 846, there being aplurality of partitions 846 each extending the width of the mixingchamber 815, each partition being formed of two side walls 847 extendingdiagonally inwardly and upwardly from the spacers 845, the side walls847 being joined by a horizontally extending top wall 849, each top wall849 being provided with an aperture 850 therein, each of the apertures850 being in registry with a corresponding aperture 810 in the bottomwalls 809 of the steam manifolds 805. The partitions 846 providing forindividual nozzle shapes for the rinsing unit 800, it being noted thatthe spacers 845 are kept very narrow because no rinsing action ispossible along the part of the flat work 675a passing directlyunderneath the spacers 845.

Each mixing chamber 815 contains therein a weir 855 to provide a waterstorage section, the weir 855 includes a straight portion 856 extendingdownwardly and abutting one of the straight vertical portions 824forming the nozzle 825, the weir 855 further including an upwardly andoutwardly diagonally inclined portion 857 integral with and extendingfrom the straight portion 856, the portion 857 also to provide strength.Suitably connected to the lowerportion of each of the mixing chambers815 is a water manifold 860 to provide the entire length of the mixingchamber 815, the housing86l including therein a central bore 862, thebore 862 extending from one end of the manifold housing 861 up to butnot through the outer end. At spacedapart points, alongthe watermanifold 860, there are provided a plurality of inlet bores 863, theinlet bores 863 being positioned generally normal to the central bore862 and providing communication between the central bore862 of the watermanifold 860 with the chamber defined by the weir 855 and the wall 816of the mixing chamber 815, it being noted that each of the inlet bores863 aligned with one of the plurality of apertures 864in the respectiveside wall 816 thereby to provide the*hereinbeforementionedcommunicatiomEach of the water manifolds'860 is further provided withrinse liquid supply pipes 865a-c leading from a rinse liquid supply tothe associated manifold 860, there is alsoprovided an inlet pipe 865leading to pipe 865d of the unit 800d and including therein a valve 867having a control stem'868. As seen, the rinsing units 800 a-c arepositioned from left to right in the direction of travel of the flatwork675a, the rinse liquid, in the preferred embodiment water, entersrinsing unit 800d and from-there as hereinafter explained to unit 8000to pro vide a countercurrent flow of the rinse liquid and the flatwork675a, as hereinafter described.

The-rinsing units'800 are also provided with a steam header870, thesteam header 870 consisting of a horizontally disposed steam supply pipe875 leading to a valve 877 having thereon a control stem 878 forcontrolling the amount of steam admitted to the header 870 from thesupply pipe 875. Downwardly depending from the header870 are a pluralityof vertical header sections 870a, 870b and 870e, the vertical sectionsbeing -suitably connected to each of the steam manifolds '805 by afitting 879 disposed in the front wall 827 of each of the rinsingunits800. It should be noted that while each steam manifold 805 receivesan individual are a plurality of collecting vessels 880, there being acollecting vessel 880 for each and every rinsing unit 800. Thecollecting vessels 880 are identical in construction and therefore onlyone will be described for the sake of brevity, each collecting vessel880 includes a pair of opposed inwardly slanting side walls 881connected at the bottom thereof to form a heart-shaped unit in crosssection. The side walls 881 curve inwardly at the top thereto to form anarcuate portion 882 and therefrom to form inwardly turned flanges 883,the flanges 883 having a straight portion 884 generally parallel to theconveyor 770 and having a downwardly turned portion 885, the downwardlyturned portion 885 being integral with the flat portions 884. Thecollecting vessels 880 are each provided with a front wall 888 and aback wall 889. The opening formed between the opposed downwardly turnedportions 885 of the flanges 883 is in registry with the nozzle 825 ofthe associated rinsing unit 800. Extending outwardly from the front wall888 of the collecting vessel 880 is an exit pipe 890 suitably secured tothe front wall 888 by a fitting 891. As noted in FIG. 5, each exit pipe890 from one of the collecting vessels 880a, 880b, 8800, leads from thecollecting vessel to a pump 895 which pumps the fluid from the exit pipe890 through the next adjacent inlet pipe 865 leading to an associatedmanifold 860. As seen in the figure, as the flat work 675a istransported by the laminar portion 795 of the conveyor 770 past therinsing units 800a, 800b, 800e, the fluid from the rinsing unit iscollected in the associated collecting vessel 880 and drained therefromthrough the exit pipes 890a, 890b, 890a through the associated pumps895a, 895b or 8950 and pumped therefrom into the next associated watermanifold 86% or 860a, thereby to provide counter-current flow of therinse fluid to the movement of the flat work 675a.

In operation, a rinse liquid such as water is introduced to the watermanifold 860d by means of the water supply pipe 865, the amount of waterbeing introduced is controlled by the valve 867. Water flowing into themanifold 8600 enters the mixing unit 8150 by means of the plurality ofspaced-apart inlet bores 863 to form a water reservoir behind the weir855. The water behind the weir 855 increases to a level where itoverflows from the diagonally inwardly turned portion 857 of the weir855. Concurrently with the introduction of the water into the pipe 865,there isprovided the introduction of steam through the steam supply pipe875 to the steam header 870, the amount of steam being introducedtherethrough being controlled by the valve 877. Steam from the header870 enters the header supply pipes 870a, 870b and 87% and is introducedthereby into the associated steam manifold 805a, 805b and 8050. Thesteam exits from the mnaifold 805 through the aligned apertures 810 inthe bottom plate 809 and 850 in the top wall 849 and enters the mixingunit 815. The steam entering the mixing unit contacts the wateroverflowing the weir 855 thereby to form a mist, the mist beingforcefully expelled due to the pressure of the steam contained in themixing unit 815 through the nozzle 825, the nozzle 825 being formed atright angles to the conveyor 770 thereby to direct the mist of the steamand the water along a path at right angles to the flat work 675a beingtransported thereby.

An important feature of this invention is the prevention of theformation of puddles of rinse liquid and wash solution on the surface ofthe flat work 675a by positioning the nozzle 825 at right angles to thepath of the flat work 675 and contacting the top belt 790 with thenozzle walls 824 thereby to prevent the formation of puddles thereon andto maintain constant the amount of mist being forced therethrough. Theformation of puddles on the flat work 675a is highly undesirable becauseit decreases the amount of mist of rinse liquid and steam being forcedthrough the flat work 6750 and therefore decreases the rinsing actionthereto.

The effluent of the wash solution and the mist drains into theassociated collecting vessels 880, in the initial case vessel 8800, itbeing understood that a sequential operation is taken for purposes ofexplanation, but all operations occur simultaneously during actual use.As the effluent drains into collecting vessel 8800, it is transportedthrough this collecting vessel into the exit pipe 8900 and therealonginto the associated pump 8950 wherein it is pumped upwardly into themanifold 860b of the rinse unit 800b, thereby to provide acounter-current flow of the effluant from one collecting vessel to thenext associated rinsing unit to conserve the amount of rinse liquidsused by the process. The effluent from the rinsing unit 800a isintroduced into the manifold 860b and distributed as hereinbeforedescribed into the mixing chamber 815b to be concurrently mixed with thesteam introduced by the header 870b. As the effluant overflows theassociated weir 855b to form therein a mist, the mist is forcefullyexpelled through the nozzle 825b which is positioned at right angleswith the flat work 675a being transported thereby. It is here noted thatthe upturned ends 838 of the shoes 835 insure that no snagging of thewire mesh conveyor belt 790 occurs. Likewise, the downwardly turnedportions 885 of the inwardly turned flanges 883 insure that the mesh ofthe lower belt 780 is also not snagged.

The effluant of the wash solution and the mist generated by rinsing unit800b is collected in the associated collecting vessel 880b andtransported therefrom through the exit pipe 890b to the associated pump895b, therefrom it is pumped to the manifold 860a of the next associatedrinsing unit 800a. The hereinbefore described process is repeated in therinsing unit 8000, the effluant therefrom being collected in theassociated collecting vessel 880a and drained therefrom through the exitpipe 890a. The associated pump 895a disposed of the collected effluantfrom the collecting vessel 880a via an exit pipe 896 to a waste disposal(not shown). It is noted that the flat work 675a transported from theorbital washer (not shown) contains upon the introduction to the rinsingunit 710 a considerable amount of wash solution. However, the flat work675b exiting from the rinser 710 contains little if any wash solution,the rinsed state being denoted as 675b.

It may be seen therefore that there has been provided apparatus forrinsing wash solution from fabric articles including a rinsing unit 800having a pressure chamber 805 and 815 for generating a mist of a gas anda rinse liquid, a rinse conveyor 770 for transporting the articles alonga predetermined path adjacent to the rinsing unit 800, a nozzle 825 forthe rinsing unit 800 including two spaced-apart walls 824 definingtherebetween a passage through which the mist is forcibly expelled fromthe pressure chamber 805 and 815 and through the articles on theconveyors 770, a portion 824 of the walls 816 adjacent to the exit endof the nozzle 825 being disposed substantially normal to thepredetermined path formed by the conveyor 770 to prevent puddles of therinse liquid and the wash solution from forming on the associatedarticle and thus decreasing the quantity of mist forced therethrough,and a collecting vessel 880 disposed adjacent to the rinse conveyor 770in position to receive the mist and wash solution carried therebypassing through the articles, whereby to rinse the wash solution fromthe articles.

Upon exiting from the rinser 710, the fiat work 6751; is subjected to asour spray applicator 900, see FIG. 2. The sour spray applicator 900applies thereto a bleach spray after which the flat work 675b isdeposited upon a time delay conveyor 905.

The time delay conveyor 905 which provides time for the bleach topenetrate the pervious cloth includes drive sprockets 907 rotatablymounted on drive shafts 908, the conveyor 905 further including an upperendless belt 910 and a lower endless belt 915. A plurality of idlersprockets 917 mounted on idler shaft 918 are provided to maintain thebelts 910 and 915 taut. The time delay conveyor 905 is adapted in thelength thereof and the speed of rotation thereof to provide a specificamount of time for the bleach applied by the bleach spray applicator 900to become effective.

As the flat work 675b exits from the time delay conveyor 905, it isdeposited upon another conveyor 7700 which leads it to a rinser 710a,the rinser 710a including a rinsing unit 800d a conveyor 770a and acollecting vessel 880d, all identical in detail to one of the particularunits as hereinbefore described. As the flat work 675b is transportedpast the associated nozzle of the rinse unit 800d a mist of the waterand steam is forcefully directed therethrough and the associatedcollecting vessel 880d receives the effluant therefrom. As the flat work675b exits from the fourth-stage rinser 710a, it is subjected to anadditional sour spray applicator 900a which applies thereto a sour, theflat work 6750 so designated after the application of the sour theretobeing directed to an extractor (not shown).

While there has been described what is at present considered to be thepreferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood thatvarious modifications may be made therein and it is intended to cover inthe appended claims all such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for rinsing wash solution from fabric articles comprising arinsing unit including a pressure chamber for generating a mist of a gasand a rinse liquid, a rinse conveyor for transporting the articles alonga predetermined path adjacent to said rinsing unit, a nozzle for saidrinsing unit including two spaced-apart walls defining therebetween apassage through which the mist is forcibly expelled from said pressurechamber and through the articles on said conveyor, the portions of saidwalls adjacent to the exit end of said nozzle being disposedsubstantially normal to said predetermined path to prevent puddles ofthe rinse liquid and the wash solution from forming on the associatedarticle and thus decreasing the quantity of mist forced therethrough,and a collecting vessel disposed adjacent to said rinse conveyor inposition to receive the mist and wash solution carried thereby passingthrough the articles, whereby to rinse the wash solution from thearticles.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said rinser conveyorincludes two foraminous belts holding the fabric articles therebetween.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said nozzle has a lengthsubstantially equal to the width of said conveyor.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said nozzle has a lengthsubstantially equal to the width of said conveyor, said nozzle beingdisposed with the length thereof generally transverse to the directionof termined path.

1. Apparatus for rinsing wash solution from fabric articles comprising a rinsing unit including a pressure chamber for generating a mist of a gas and a rinse liquid, a rinse conveyor for transporting the articles along a predetermined path adjacent to said rinsing unit, a nozzle for said rinsing unit including two spaced-apart walls defining therebetween a passage through which the mist is forcibly expelled from said pressure chamber and through the articles on said conveyor, the portions of said walls adjacent to the exit end of said nozzle being disposed substantially normal to said predetermined path to prevent puddles of the rinse liquid and the wash solution from forming on the associated article and thus decreasing the quantity of mist forced therethrough, and a collecting vessel disposed adjacent to said rinse conveyor in position to receive the mist and wash solution carried thereby passing through the articles, whereby to rinse the wash solution from the articles.
 2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said rinser conveyor includes two foraminous belts holding the fabric articles therebetween.
 3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said nozzle has a length substantially equal to the width of said conveyor.
 4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said nozzle has a length substantially equal to the width of said conveyor, said nozzle being disposed with the length thereof generally transverse to the direction of movement of said conveyor.
 5. The apparatus set forth in claim 2, wherein a plurality of rinsing units are longitudinally spaced along said conveyor in the direction of travel thereof, each of said rinsing units including a nozzle having a length substantially equal to the width of said conveyor, each of said nozzles being disposed with the length thereof generally transverse to the direction of movement of said conveyor, whereby fabric articles transported by said conveyor are rinsed with mist discharged through said plurality of nozzles along the length of said predetermined path. 